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We receive and gladly publish the story of the experience of Alice and Ornella , voluntary Hanuman Onlus with us in Nepal in April 2015
Nepal in April 2015 by Ornella De Lucia
I'll try to give voice to this story, and great joy, that still beats me inside and called NEPAL!
I felt right away that it must be something really big!
It is now almost two months since I came back and I waited to write because the powerful emotions they feel and there is no word that can tell !!! But with the word I'll try to give shape to those pictures that my eyes have taken and that, along with what I hear, will stay in forever, because they always go in that land had been my desire since I was little girl and who knows me as much, when he learned that I was leaving in April, did not hesitate to tell me: "finally you made it ...!"
And if the journey to that land was also in a special context, such as the one in which I had the great good fortune of being with the group Hanuman Onlus, in which, for what I can give my contribution as a volunteer, well, then, believe me, the mix was perfect, a special flavor and unique !!!
And the emotion is immediately! .... I tried to control it because if I get excited too, I get a fever, but honestly I did it and then, luckily there paracetamol !!! It is now, when you descend from the plane in Kathmandu to see the embrace great that Nepalese friends, Ravi, Raji, Amresh, Gajendra and others, which do not remember the names, have reserved to Vitaliano, Irene and Leonardo and in 'notice that, after a few moments, that hug was for me, full of affection, of flowers, of joy, as if I had always known and, in truth, I had never seen !!
The legendary bus led by Babu Gaji was ready and waiting for us was also the cook Mon had to do last minute shopping for the evening meal: awesome !! He will have had plenty of time to do so before we arrived, but too good that it did with us, thus forcing Babu Gaji to stop targeted. How many smiles I ripped this thing !!
The arrival to the Family House did not give me time to think: is now another dimension, another life, there are no more pretense, no masks, you're immediately yourself, as you are, as a return to your origins , to nature, away from the world in a moment that you have just left and that until a few moments before you thought you belonged: it is in this dimension that you can really understand how the world really belongs to you.
I went to bed at night tired, very tired, wanting to sleep, but with the anxiety of not taking too much of my time sleeping because I thought I lost; I was afraid not to hear the morning Vitaliano with his alarm clock, when on the terrace, loud, we lit the national anthem or Oye como va of Santana and other successes of Qeen: too good !!! I went to the window and moving the tent told her with a smile that gave me the joy that awakening: too good !!! I the morning I did not really want to talk and I struggle to do everything, but, to the Family House there was no time for all this: there once was life!
We visited 15 schools, all those built between these and they were inaugurated 3.
That morning the sky was overcast, so moisture, but we went with backpacks and shoulder dusters to get a piece of the world that never forget: precious and extraordinary!
Trisciana and Neera with flip flops and all of us with hiking boots! A beautiful walk: a valley magically surrounded by a blanket of fog, as if it was there to protect her, faces rare and deep eyes. A thin man and small bore the burden of school supplies and water bottles: the load weighed more than he did, and yet it all seemed light; step with precise and unchanging reached me and I went ahead and I was left to watch it: nothing I could do!
We arrived at the Basanta School who, along with Shree Bhairabi Primary School, are perhaps the two most that I remained in my heart!
In that place, I made the most beautiful circle of my life!
A return to the challenging steep slope and bumpy, but I fell ... .just because accompanied by Raji showed me exactly where to put your feet not to slip, with incredible precision, as if it were the scale of his house!
From school visits he is always fell in the afternoon and, at times, I felt tired, with the desire to get to the family home to find some 'refreshment: a shower, the bed, the beautiful terrace with a finger from the starry sky ; but then when I arrived, after only a few minutes he took back the urge to throw myself among these people, in their eyes, in their smiles, in their experience, which was already mine!
I arrived at Shree Primary School Bhairabi hand with Himala: I often looked and I often shook his hand: perhaps he was afraid that I might loosen his grip, but I would not have ever done: I, I was his own fear!
A little school lost in anything and for this very rich!
The arrival at Shree Buddi Bikash School, hand this time the small Sushila, was then a big party, a huge thrill! I have often heard tears in his eyes and fatigue to remain controlled throughout this bomb I felt beat in and the explosion which I hold. There has spoken by Francesca handsfree phone Vitaliano and I felt tight in one big embrace among a lot of people: there was so much really!
I danced among the people with joy in your heart, with a strange feeling of absolute freedom, as if I were alone and, instead, I was in the middle of a sea of people; I followed his heart and mind the movements that came out alone among them, beautiful, delicate that I touched, I drunk of their smiles and their colors and including many children who timidly urged to continue and Alice telling me do not give up, not to leave her there in the middle, by itself, not to, not now, ... ..but I would not have done, not at that time, I was too happy, too light: it was beautiful!
The trip to Gorka then, with all the children was a difficult story to tell. The night before I made a small backpack with a few things to spend the night outside and I discovered to smile myself almost feeling I the schoolgirl who went on a field trip; yes, because in that place, with those children, this is what happens: they change roles and situations, you go there thinking of giving something, little or at least make an effort to do this and you discover, however, covered with a wealth than ever more you lose! Many were on the bus, truck and we among them: a great story! I tried not to miss anything, not even the views of pristine lands and still images as postcards, what would you choose, beautiful, to send to a loved one.
I do not remember the names of all the kids I've known, I can think of only a few: Bimala, Himala, Rohan, Daniel, Bikran, Suman, Mishra; Acriti spoke to me a lot, and then there was the little Lujah, said the "accountant", who entertained me with talk of "high finance" and "theories about numbers", impossible to explain and which, consequently I struggled to respond, he stole a world of laughter, my, but also his, beautiful!
I asked him a basin at the end of many words and, without any hesitation, the little and gave it to me I was close: a hug from "colleagues" that never forget !!!! ........ .... still harbor the signs of those races and flight, spectacular, which I did for a handkerchief in steals-flag ... ..but you know, great things inevitably leave a mark!
With them, with eyes fixed and gleaming, before the sudden sight of 8000, my heart was beating loud!
Even now, often, in my days, so far from those, I get lost with the mind the memory of all this, those of terraced rice paddies, women bent to wash the rich harvest of roots in the narrow strips of water in the midst of lush green Fields opened, a rope bridge, crossed with a light step and tiptoed because his was the sway gently as possible, almost to caress the beautiful ideas which in my mind is confused in a swirl of emotions.
Ramechhap a small village waiting joyful our arrival and even here it was now party: someone was playing, a small feast prepared for us and many children, too many beautiful here! In gift, for us, their precious honey!
That morning no one wanted, I perhaps least of all, but then when I take the fear of something, it's weird, I'm so, this becomes almost a reason to not pull back that morning, was scheduled rafting!
Most were reluctant because with little desire to get wet; for me, this was the last of my thoughts; in truth, my concern was to not have enough strength to stay on the boat, I felt inside the strange belief that I would certainly end in the water at the first gate fast. The long preparations, the detailed instructions did nothing but convince more and more of it, and then load inside me, on the one hand the fear and the other the desire to go anyway and did not want to give up this emotion, even at the cost of ...... I did not even know what !!! The rafts were two and I instinctively I would go to that occupied mainly by men: the strength of their arms gave me a sense of security for the faint of mine. But a crossing of glances with Irene was enough for me to follow her: her eyes, gentle and reassuring, like those of a mother, at whose side anything can happen, had now the upper hand on the strength of those arms and so I I followed, feeling safe in a boat whose crew was primarily made up of women ... ..but with Roby, Leonardo and some friends of Nepal.
My seat was down, with Irene, she had told me to be that the safest ... ..sentivo a tremor inside that increased hand in hand with the utmost attention trying, with difficulty, not to miss anything of what the 'instructor commanded: in truth, everything he said seemed to be exactly the opposite of what reasonably could serve to get out of it except, of course, but, nevertheless, I was trying to do everything with meticulous precision, well aware, then, that the danger of sure, I would have dropped everything !!! ... And so it was !!! Bagnatissima I was, like everyone else, but I could not feel neither hot nor cold, I simply did not feel! And the rapids arrived and each time it seemed to me a miracle'm out ... and came rapidly more challenging, I knew it would come, could not end like this, I'd felt immediately !!! And once the order came to sit down at the bottom; all on my boat did, but I assure you, it was the thousandth of a second that my eyes and my only, froze on the boat before occupied by others in my group and helpless witnessed the overturning, upsetting and total dinghy same: I saw them all fly in the water and all I saw them not as swamped by boat! Petrified I was standing motionless at my station, while my companions were diligently in the right position, sit down; I felt the instructor shouted to stoop and sit down, but I was riveted, the legs hard, my knees still standing to support me, and for a moment, always in the same thousandth of a second, I thought of throwing myself voluntarily in water, because a little later the same fate would befall my crew and then to me ....
I can not explain, I do not know what happened: Irene possible that he could understand me all this? I still do not know, but I felt his hand pulling my pants, and felt as if he had read my thoughts. I shouted, at that point, in utter terror that the boat before it was completely nosed violence in the rapid and everyone was literally flew into the water.
The instructor kept shouting and control orders, definitely valuable for our salvation and were, but even Irene, at that point, could no longer hear them: jumped up, she like me, with her eyes full of fear in fixed My - I never forget them - and our fixed before trying the heads of all who slowly, slowly began to emerge from the water, nell'angosciosa counts of all in the attempt, extreme and winning, not to the same fate.
A story ended well, but I assure you, I never rafting: still feel the thrill !!
At the family home the news of our shipwreck had already arrived, before we return and the children, all full of smiles, they were ready and anxious to hear our stories and find out, maybe upon us, the signs of that terrible adventure .... and, in truth, the signs were there !!
Suman, a boy of fifteen, the guest house, with a beautiful smile and reassuring, that of a man already mature and responsible, gently put a hand on his shoulder, as if to tell me his happiness in having found them all! Suman, sometimes I think the precision with which ripulivi baseboards from fresh color, just as the walls of the house! You are precious!
On the terrace of a house of Nepal where we spent one of the last nights, I drank a drink under a sky that between lightning and thunder in me talking, but I had to listen to the man, the master of the house, while proud and excited, told us of his life through old pictures of old photos and precious.
This land and these people are hard to write, I said in the beginning and now I want to close these brief thoughts, even more I realize I am poor in words. I experienced every emotion on the skin, without asking questions because for the great emotions there are no answers, but let everything I was wearing, not move, because it is the only thing you can do to feel all the way across the great emotion! !! Immense !!!
Taking leave from these thoughts, all small and not, I draw you in a single embrace, strong and with you, running eyes of everyone I've met, I let myself go in this final round dance, great, great !!! Trishiana, cries you now, it's your turn: "up, down, expands, expands, expands, squeeze, squeeze, squeeze, jump, down, up, away, ... Kuman, Kuman, Kuman !!!! ..... "
Ornella De Lucia
Nepal in April 2015 by Alice Brunoro
Experience with Hanuman Onlus
Nepal is a magical place. Welcomes you with open arms, with his energy made of spirituality and smiles. Nepal gives you so much, without asking anything in return. It is the place where the hospitality is so important, that to give to you, in remote villages people deprived of her only jar of honey. It's where if you cross a look opens a world sinking into the eyes of a people full of wisdom. It is there where you can reflect on yourself, immersed in the most magical places in the fallow and green nature.
You can not fall in love with Nepal and its people. It 'hard to put into words what it feels like when you have the chance to meet some people. Do you feel that you already know, they know exactly who you are, and, without a word, you feel at home. You have the feeling of being in Nepal for a lifetime, when in fact you come from just a few days.
Women have an elegance that is extremely fascinating. They are beautiful and when they wear their colorful traditional clothes give off energy. Men are always kind. In the eyes of the elderly can find out who you are, you rispecchiandoti in intensity that will remain one of the great mysteries that I carry in my heart. The children look at you and smile, hide but after thirty seconds, if you show them a ball, run to play with you. People smile. And are those smiles that help to grow. Coming from a fast-paced society, where people do not have time to be happy, to be catapulted into a world of looks and kindness makes you think a lot about how maybe we should all be a little 'less arrogant, abandoning the belief that by force in the right just because we live in a more "evolved".
Humility, kindness, happiness. These are the three characteristics that I have seen in my, alas, too short stay in Nepal.
The color is Nepal, Nepal is nature. Visit villages and schools gave me the opportunity (as well as much fun with the kids), to see beautiful places. And then there is a tradition that has haunted me and I will never forget: the people welcomes you by offering flowers. And so you arrive in the village and in a few seconds six sprinkled with flowers, handmade necklaces, crowns or just flowers that children give in hand. And how can you not be happy with all that nature and that color on him?
Already the greeting then, you know the depth of the people in front of you. Namaste, a salute to the God that is within you. What better way to say goodbye if you do not wish for good? The Nepalese people are a peaceful people but proud, that keeps us explain the meaning of their flag and the sacrifice of the soldiers Ghorka to unify the country.
Nepal is also music. The men are playing a series of strange instruments, typical of the place. Trumpets, bongos and flutes, creating a joyous rhythm and a melody that you can not dance. And he can dance with the women made me live a very special moment, immersed in a culture different from mine, but with so much to teach me.
I left with a backpack full of dreams. I had to stay a month and a half to do volunteer work with children and young Benighat. I immediately set right. Moreover, as I've written, you feel welcome right away. I had planned to teach Italian in schools in the morning and then to organize football tournaments and volleyball. But most of all export and share with the guys my great passion: juggling. So before you run out to buy balls for all, is the balls, take your tricks to throw a party with the kids ... so I left I had the charge of a lion! The expectations have not only been very well overcome by reality, but I was really starting to fall in love with Nepal. I felt I could give so much but also to be able to learn so much. And also learn from the smallest things. During the very first walk we did with the group after returning from a tour of the school, Tirsana (very sweet girl who lives at the Happy Home) took me by the hand when he saw me in trouble, and I showed where to put your feet not to fall. She, forty pounds of girl in slippers, which supported me, with my super impacciatissima hiking boots.
Unfortunately, my dream has been broken even before it began. That bloody April 25. It was the day that the group would have to go home and I had to leave for Benighat (that day we were all in Kathmandu) and begin my real adventure. 11:56 hours. The earth shakes. And trembles for two damn minutes that seemed to never end. Two minutes were enough to cripple a country, that has torn the lives of more than 8,000 people, which swept away forever places of breathtaking beauty. Two minutes, and my adventure is over. And fortunately, that was to end my adventure and my life. The emptiness that remains after having lived a similar experience is difficult to tell. They only have so much bitterness and too many questions: Why Nepal? Why did they survive? And you feel powerless in front of such a destructive fury. You feel small. Do you feel lucky because you've got a house and you just go home, as opposed to those who did not have a home anymore. Live emotions, do not want to go back home because you want to help but you feel to say that there'd be a burden. Then stop fighting and come back with a broken heart. My heart is still there, in the rubble and desperation of those who lost everything. A country that has been devastated by Nature, a country that he deserved everything except be folded so.
But I can not and I will not remember the Nepal as a pile of rubble. And it's hard, because the paralyzing fear that I experienced are trying to erase from memory the moments that I lived, all the children with whom I played, all the people I met, all the wonders that I visto.Per me six Nepal and you will remain a unique paradise populated by wonderful people who, despite everything, shows a dignity and incredible fortitude.
Namaste Nepal, a salute to the God who is with you.
Alice